believe the speaker boehner, perhaps the president himself may have been talking to you, talking to steve forbes and others who talked about the possibility of reforming the entire tax code. that could -- >> this is a great time. you know, the kind of time... and, not only that, let's don't forget the last time that the senate had a budget, it was when harry reid worked with his friend, speaker pelosi and nobody in the 2008 budget complained that it wasn't spending enough money. let's go back to 2008. $2.5 trillion, and cuts off a trillion in spending, right there. >> lou: there are all sorts of ways to get there, as you suggest here tonight, and, as suggested in other forums as well, but the idea that this president an boehner are coming together to have at least a civil discourse over what in the world we're going to do about the fiscal cliff, six weeks remain, are you any more hopeful as a result of the ton they've taken on the first day of discussion? >> well, i wasn't hopefulith the president's tone, when he said -- >> are you being partisan here? >> i'm not being partisan, i am bein